Mach (crater)
Encyclopedia
Mach is a large lunar
crater
of the class known as a walled plain. It is located on the far side of the Moon
and cannot be viewed directly from the Earth
. Nearby craters of note include Joule
to the northeast, Mitra
attached to the western outer rim, and Henyey
to the southwest.
This is a prominent but eroded formation with multiple craters along the rim and interior. The crater Harvey
breaks across the eastern rim, and its outer rampart spills across the interior floor of Mach. The overall shape of Mach resembles a pear
, with a prominent outward bulge to the northeast. Such a bulge can be caused by a second, merged crater. The northern edge is also the most worn and overlain by impacts.
The interior of Mach is marked by several small craters, particularly in the northeastern bulge. Several craters also lie along the edges to the west and northwest. The remainder of the interior floor is relatively level, when compared to the terrain
that surrounds Mach. There is a formation of central ridges near the mid-point of the crater that create a large number of unexplained magnetic anomalies. (Or at least the center if the northeastern bulge is disregarded.)
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
of the class known as a walled plain. It is located on the far side of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
and cannot be viewed directly from the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Nearby craters of note include Joule
Joule (crater)
Joule is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon. It is located to the north-northeast of the walled plain Mach. To the northwest of Joule is the crater Blazhko....
to the northeast, Mitra
Mitra (crater)
Mitra is a lunar crater that is attached to the western outer rim of the larger crater Mach, on the far side of the Moon. Just to the west of Mitra is Bredikhin, and to the south-southeast lies Henyey. It is named after Sisir Kumar Mitra....
attached to the western outer rim, and Henyey
Henyey (crater)
Henyey is a lunar crater that lies on the far side of the Moon from the Earth. It is attached at the southern end to the northern rim of the crater Dirichlet. Less than a crater diameter to the northeast is the large crater Mach, and to the northwest lies Mitra.This is a worn and eroded crater that...
to the southwest.
This is a prominent but eroded formation with multiple craters along the rim and interior. The crater Harvey
Harvey (crater)
Harvey is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon from the Earth. It lies astride the eastern rim of the much larger crater Mach, and the outer rampart of Harvey extends part way across the interior floor...
breaks across the eastern rim, and its outer rampart spills across the interior floor of Mach. The overall shape of Mach resembles a pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
, with a prominent outward bulge to the northeast. Such a bulge can be caused by a second, merged crater. The northern edge is also the most worn and overlain by impacts.
The interior of Mach is marked by several small craters, particularly in the northeastern bulge. Several craters also lie along the edges to the west and northwest. The remainder of the interior floor is relatively level, when compared to the terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
that surrounds Mach. There is a formation of central ridges near the mid-point of the crater that create a large number of unexplained magnetic anomalies. (Or at least the center if the northeastern bulge is disregarded.)
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Mach.| Mach | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| H | 14.9° N | 144.1° W | 40 km |